Fall Notebook: Oct. 13
Programs covered: Virginia, UC Santa Barbara, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Wichita State, Georgia, Alabama
Virginia
Connor Jones and Matt Thaiss have moved on to professional baseball and therein lies the greatest challenge for Virginia in 2017: who will anchor the front end of the rotation and who will take over at catcher? There are significant question marks for this pitching staff but betting against Brian O'Connor and Karl Kuhn feels like a fool's errand.
Two of the returners who have had great falls are also players who have Virginia Baseball in their blood. Redshirt-junior Jack Roberts is the younger brother of Will Roberts, who emerged as a rotation stalwart for the Cavaliers' 2011 CWS team. Jack has been up to 94 mph with a plus slider this fall. Sophomore outfielder Jake McCarthy, the younger brother of former UVA star Joe McCarthy, struggled to stay healthy as a freshman but he is a lefthanded hitter with an elite run tool.
One other returning name to file away would be sophomore catcher Cam Comer. Comer is a lefthanded hitter and he is a potential starter based on his improvement this fall.
Freshman Cayman Richardson looks to be the real deal at shortstop and he could be a force offensively and defensively. Junior College transfer Caleb Knight (Connors State, Okla.) brings physicality at 230-pounds and an advanced catch-and-throw skill-set.
If this unproven group continues to make strides, there is cause for optimism in Charlottesville. It bears mentioning that Ernie Clement, Pavin Smith and Adam Haseley make up a three-headed monster on offense as good as any nationally.
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